Rotary engine.



No. 699.720. Patented May l3, I902.

8. SMITH.

ROTARY ENGINE.

(Application filed- Aug. 2, 1900.)

('NOMDML) l 3Sheets-Sheetl. I

Z ip 2* [L m '0 1 Q j z J I "z i U U 2 v F3 P; Q l

Ll"- T'TI'" LL o I [I] y L| WWII MHHH mg I I 9917586 7 I 4 fiwerazr' Mz/Wm 5K. 48. M Z

No. 699,720. Patented May l3, I902.

, 8. SMITH.

ROTARY ENGINE.

(Application filed Aug. 2, 1900.)

(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 2.

Flcms.

Ficug.

No. 699,720. Patented May l3, I902.

8. SMITH.

ROTARY ENGINE.

(Application filed Aug. 2, 1900.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

Wm/52 f.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. V

SYDNEY SMITH, OF GLASGOIV, SCOTLAND.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N 0. 699,720, dated May 13, 1902.

Application filed August 2, 1900. Serial No. 25,707. (No model.)

To all whori'c 117' UNI/y concern.-

Be it known that I, SYDNEY SMITH, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ire land, residing at Glasgow, Scotland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rotary Engines, (for which I have made ap plication for Letters Patent in Great Britain under N0. 265, dated January" 4, 1900,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in rotary engines, and has for its object the balancing of the turning and inertia moments and the radial pressure set up by the motive fluid about the axis, so that the axle does not press or react unduly upon the bearings, but practically floats therein, the provision of means for reducing the friction and wear of the reciprocating abutment and toenable it to follow and make a good sliding joint with the cam-piston, the automatic lubrication of the reciprocating abutment, and the specific arrangement of packing on the parts having relative movement to maintain a tight sliding joint.

In order that my invention maybe the better understood, I will now proceed to describe it in relation to the accompanying drawings, reference being bad to the letters marked thereon. V

Likeletters refer to like parts in the various figures.

Figure 1 is a part-sectional view of my improved engine. Fig. 2 is an end sectionalelevation of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 show various details of the parts of my engine. 5 is a longitudinal section of the cam-piston in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a transverse section of the same.

It will be seen from the drawings that I arrange upon each side of a central cylinder A another cylinder B, of such a length and diameter that the effective area of the campiston O of the cylinder A equals the sum of the effective areas of the cam-pistons D of the cylinders B. The two cam pistons D are mounted on the axle Eat an angle of one hundred and eighty degrees to the cam-piston O. This arrangement gives a perfect balance of turning and inertia moments and of the radial pressure. Each cylinder is provided with a lateral casing or box F, in which slides a reciprocating; abutment G, having a circuthereby.

lar seating g, into which rests a segmental packing-piece H, adapted to rock in the seatings so as to adapt itsedge or surface to the periphery of the cam-piston during the passage ofthe latter in its circular path in the cylinder. \Vithin the packing-piece H are mounted antifriction-roller's Lwhich rest upon the surface of'the cam-piston, and thus re duce the friction and retarding effort of the abutment G on the piston. I also arrange antifriction-rollers J upon I he sides of the box or casing F, so as to take the canting strains set up onthe abutment by the action of the cam-piston in its travel.

Upon the cover of the box F, I arrange a lubricating pump-barrel K, which, coacting with a pipe-plunger L, carried by the abutment G, forms a-small lubricating-pump for delivering a small quantity of oil from a. lubricator or other source of oil to the surface of the circular seatingg. Suction and delivery valvesZ Z are provided to produce the proper pumping effect during working.

At various parts of the engine I provide a special form of packing for maintaining the rubbing-surfaces tight. This is illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 4, and consists in the case of the cam-piston, for example, of an outer metallic rubbing-piece M, held in a diagonally-disposed groove M. Below the rubbing-pieceM is a layer of soft fibrous packing M such as asbestos, and under this a metallic strip M spring-pressed outward by metallic springs M resting on the bottom of the groove M, so as to force the packing outward and at the same time expand the soft packing M outward to make a joint against the sides of the groove to prevent the passage of the gaseous fluid The horns M on the metallic strip M have inclined faces, so as to gradually depress the strip when passing the abutment. These horns lie freely in their grooves in the cam-piston, so that the pressure of the motive fluid in the cylinder acts 'freely on all the surfaces of the horns in order to prevent such pressure on the horns depressing thestrip in the groove.

The packing N around the abutment G is somewhat similar in construction; but instead of the metallic rubbing-piece the soft packing is held in a frame N, so as to bear against the sides of the groove and also the by screws in the sides of the casing.

face of the abutment. This packing has a metallic strip N at its back, which is set up The abutment G is forced downward in contact with'the cam-piston by a spiral spring P andthe steam-pressure.

' The cylindrical parts joining the cau'1-pistons O and D are provided with rams bottom or similar rings 0, which rubbing against the adjacent surfaces maintain a steam -tight joint between the cylinders. The arrangement of rings 0, soft packing r,'and holding ends 8, provided with tightening ring t, is such that the pressure on the two sides of the rings'o is equalized to a great extent. The rings 0 may be made with an initial spring or tension or compression and may be gripped laterally when the rubbing-surfaces are in contact, so as to retain them in position.

The steam or other motive fluid is admitted to the engine by the pipe U, leading to the valve-box V, having a reciprocating balanced valve 1;, driven by an eccentric WV and rod w. This box V has two ports X X, one communicating by a pipe 00 with the central cylinder and the other by two pipes 00 .90 with the side cylinders B B. This valvev controls the admission and rate of expansion of the motive fiuid. The exhaust from the engine passes off by the orifice Y in each of the cylinders. Y

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patcut, is-

]. In a rotary engine, a cylinder, a campiston, in combination with a sliding abutment provided with a circularseating, a segmental packing-piece adapted to rest in the seating and make sliding contact with the periphery of the cam-piston, and an antifriction roller or rollers Within the segmental packing-piece adapted to roll on the periphery of the said cam-piston, substantially as described.

2'. Ina rotary engine, a cylinder and a movable abutment in combination with a campiston having a diagonal groove containing the peripheral packing consisting of a metallic packing-piece having horns with inclined surfaces, a layer of soft fibrous packing filling up the space in the groove below the metallic piece, a metallic supporting-strip below the SYDNEY SMITH.

Witnesses:

RICHARD A. IIOFFMANN, CHARLES CARTER. 

